When the Providence tourney got cancelled I was "stuck" with 15 new scoreboards that I had made and was going to use for that event. Well, I just now decided I'd put them on the Joy of Bocce website and see if anyone out there thinks they're a good deal. I only made 15 - hey - I'm no high roller! If they sell, maybe I'll make some more. I absolutely LOVE the scoreboard. It gets set up at mid court and you can see it from both ends of the court. It's laminated and pretty durable. I hope people like it. Check them out under Bocce Product of the Week.

Attached is the information for the tournament on June 30th. Just getting last minute confirmations. The process for selection of who plays is as follows: Taylor Farms neighborhood, last year’s players and then the waiting list. Right now it looks like everyone is in from last year. Please confirm if you are playing and I will let you know if there are openings for alternates. We are going to probably limit it to 32 players. We are less than 21 days to the Bocce Extravaganza.

Thanks,
Ralph

{This is a great local event - the Fourth Annual Taylor Farms Bocce Tourney. This year we have two courts in the area with golf carts to shuttle players back and forth!}

The Wickliffe Italian-American Club and Pat O’Brien Chevrolet host the Cleveland Challenge Cup of Bocce, now it its 29th year. Our 2011 tournament was our largest and most successful to date. The weather played a HUGE role, and Bocce play was pretty big too…We hosted 96 teams from Ohio, NY, PA, Michigan, West Virginia, and several teams from Canada (Toronto Area). The winners, “Rainbow Creek #24” was a team out of Toronto. Their team captain Joe Sicoli, thanked the audience and hosts of the tournament after the final game and before the trophy presentation for 5 minutes, in Italian! He then addressed the crowd with a loose translation in English. They took home the grand prize of $5,500 along with the tournament trophy, team trophy, individual trophy’s and medals. Second place went to “JJ’s Litehouse” from Sharon Pennsylvania. They took home $3,200, a team trophy, and individual medals and trophy’s.

Last year we also hosted a Women’s Tournament on Sunday. We had 8 teams, both from out of town and local. The winners were from Euclid, Ohio, a local team. They were captained by Val Korosek and took home the $1,000 grand prize and said next year they are entering the big tournament too!

In the early years we were known as only a bocce tournament. In the past 7-8 years however, we have transformed into an EVENT! We added several Italian Food vendors, a Cultural Pavilion which hosts, cultural dancing, singing, food demonstrations, and even discussions from local vintner’s about their secrets to making wine and we are looking to expand with a Beer Garden and more major sponsorship. Friday Nights we brought in an Italian band to play the favorites from our childhood and on Saturday Night we have a more progressive rock band to cater more toward the younger crowd. We have designated Sunday as Family Day. We have a live animal show for the youngsters and a trivia game hosted by a local radio show.

In recent years we have acquired sponsors such as local hotels, Coca Cola, Labatt Blue, and Key Bank and several local businesses. With the help of these sponsors and of course our main sponsor, Pat O’Brien Chevrolet, we have been able to add a sound system, new bocce courts (9 total), covers All of our courts, build handicap accessible restrooms to our clubroom to accommodate the large event crowd, and refurbish our parking lot. The crowds range anywhere from 10,000 – 15,000 for the entire three day event and the City of Wickliffe has honored our Club with a proclamation for our service to the city, in particular the operation of this event.

NEW THIS YEAR, the Second Chance “Losers” Tournament. Our thought was that since so many teams travel so far every year to play in the tournament and since there is only one winner of the main tournament, we would hold a second tournament for some of our “Losers”. SO, our committee came up with the idea that we would randomly select 16 teams from the ousted teams by 4:00pm on Saturday, to come back on Sunday morning and play a single elimination 16-team tournament. The winner gets $700 and the 2nd place finisher gets $300. We like to think that we have improved on an already pretty great product, to improve your overall tournament experience as a player and a spectator. For more information on this new wrinkle, visit our website.

In speaking with several local players and spectators and out-of-towners, the overall feeling about the tournament is that they love the camaraderie, competition, and of course…BOCCE…They look forward to coming to this event every year, some have played in all 29 years!
This year’s Tournament and Italian Festival is planned for August 24-26. Free Entry – Free Parking – Free Entertainment. Visit our website www.wickliffeianda.com for more information.

August 24 - 26, 2012 - Ohio - Wickliffe. WICKLIFFE ITALIAN-AMERICAN CLUB. 29th Annual CLEVELAND CHALLENGE CUP OF BOCCE sponsored by PAT O'BRIEN CHEVROLET. $5,500 first prize, $16,000 in total prize money – GUARANTEED. $175 per team entry. Trophy’s and medals for Champion and second place finishers and tournament t-shirts for ALL participants. This year we have added a Second Chance “Losers” Tournament. Visit our website for details. We are also hosting a Women’s Tournament – DOUBLE ELIMINATION – $100 per team entry – all money paid out in top three prizes – Tournament Format: Four person teams (plus one sub) Contact Gino Latessa (glatessa@marcs.com) @ 216-789-6393 for more info. Applications and info online @ http://www.wickliffeianda.com.

The June issue of the USBF Western Sector Newsletter is ready to roll. We’ve covered some great bocce this past month, from a sunny day in the wine country at the Francis Ford Coppola Winery Mother’s Day Open Tournament to the misty courts at Monterey for the Mimmo Napoli Memorial Bocce Tournament. And we have a little of everything in between; JoAnn Jacobs’s Women’s’ Raffa Tournament, Campo di Bocce’s Singles Tournament in Livermore, plus a double tournament from Peninsula Italian American Social Club; the Men’s Spring Raffa Tournament and the Women’s 25th Annual Open Bocce Tournament, both held on the same day!

We also introduce the beautiful courts of the Nevada County Bocce Club in Penn Valley as well as the Home Court of the Month.

John Ross wrote a great article about the public courts at the Justin Herman Plaza in San Francisco. It seems a few people decided to go camping there and pitched their tents, tent stakes and all, right on the courts. The first photo in his article would break the heart of any bocce aficionado. But all is well now thanks to John, Benji Tosi and Rolando Negrini.

So make yourself a nice cup of hot cocoa, maybe spice it up with a little Amaretto, and spend a quiet moment or two with a few hundred bocce players.

Cheers
Frank

{Click for the excellent newsletter which is chock full of great photos and interesting articles.

We should all be card carrying members. Every club should be affiliated. For the sport to gain the attention it needs we need to boast of many thousands of members. Download a USBF Membership Application here:

This week's photos were submitted by bocce court builder Michael Grasser of http://www.DaVinciBocce.com. The courts are in the Partridge Creek Mall.

Mike says...

"I just finished installing new professional end boards and score boards. The mall is owned by the Taubman Group and is the premier outdoor mall in the midwest.

Two 86' X 12' bocce courts I built at Partridge Creek Mall in Shelby Township, Michigan. Courts enjoy a lot of league and casual play. Crushed limestone surface with dusting of tennis court clay for looks and speed."

{Great shots - I hope other bocce court builders will send photos our way for all to view.}

Hot off the press - I had these made for the Providence Tourney (that "the powers that be" cancelled way too early to get teams). I only had 15 made so I thought I'd try to see if anyone in the readership might like them.

There are only 3 pieces - the stand, the scoreboard, and two small screws to attach by hand (OK - maybe that makes 4 pieces). No tools needed.

Check out the photos and let me know what you think. The scoreboard is placed at half court and can be seen from both sides of the court. It's laminated and will hold up well outdoors. We've gone through several tries at this type of scoreboard and this is the best one yet. I think you are gonna like it. Check out the photos - sells for $159.95 plus $30 shipping from the UPS Store. For more than one shoot me an email (Mario@JoyofBocce.com).

Please - anyone running a tournament - do me a favor - put a notice near your tourney bracket board informing players that they can go to http://www.joyofbocce.com and "opt in" for my FREE Ezine on bocce. Click the logo to the right to opt in if you do not already receive this ezine every Monday.

Please consider designating someone as "official event photographer" and directing that person to send snapshots for us to reproduce as photos of the week. Our readers love seeing bocce action from around the continent.

July 21, 2012 - {9:00 AM Start} Vermont - Burlington. Novice Singles Tourney. A novice is any player whose name is not on a courtside BBC plaque for a first or second place finish in either singles or doubles. Contact Zander Ponzo @ zponzo@uvm.edu .

July 21, 2012 - {1:30 PM Start} Vermont - Burlington. Novice Doubles Tourney. A novice is any player whose name is not on a courtside BBC plaque for a first or second place finish in either singles or doubles. Contact Zander Ponzo @ zponzo@uvm.edu .

August 24 - 26, 2012 - Ohio - Wickliffe. WICKLIFFE ITALIAN-AMERICAN CLUB. 29th Annual CLEVELAND CHALLENGE CUP OF BOCCE sponsored by PAT O'BRIEN CHEVROLET. $5,500 first prize, $16,000 in total prize money – GUARANTEED. $175 per team entry. Trophy’s and medals for Champion and second place finishers and tournament t-shirts for ALL participants. This year we have added a Second Chance “Losers” Tournament. Visit our website for details. We are also hosting a Women’s Tournament – DOUBLE ELIMINATION – $100 per team entry – all money paid out in top three prizes – Tournament Format: Four person teams (plus one sub) Contact Gino Latessa (glatessa@marcs.com) @ 216-789-6393 for more info. Applications and info online @ http://www.wickliffeianda.com .

September 8, 2012 - {9:00 AM Start} Vermont - Burlington. 9/9 rain date. Ladder Tournament's Championship Tourney. Players in positions 2 - 5 will have a double elimination tournament to determine who will play the season champion in the tournament final. A player, including the season champion. will be eliminated from the tournament after two losses. Contact Zander Ponzo @ zponzo@uvm.edu .

October 13, 2012 - {9:00 AM Start} Vermont - Burlington. This tournament is open to anyone who has placed first in a singles or doubles championship on BBC's courts during the 2012 season. October 14 rain date. Contact Zander Ponzo @ zponzo@uvm.edu .

Check out the first-rate equipment we offer. The finest measuring devices for bocce (made in UK by Prohawk for lawn bowling, petanque, and bocce) - the finest bocce balls in the world (made in Italy by Perfetta) and the number one selling instructional book on bocce in America - Check them out.Check out the merchandise